Copies of the Donald Trump-endorsed “God Bless the U.S.A.” Bibles currently being distributed in Oklahoma classrooms are missing amendments 11th to 27th, according to a report.
The Trump Bible uses the King James text, takes its name from the patriotic country song by Lee Greenwood, and also includes the Constitution of the United States, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, and the Pledge of Allegiance as additional content.
However, the version being introduced in the Sooner state’s schools will not enable students to learn about the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery, the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, or the 22nd Amendment, which limits a president to two terms in the White House.
“The decision was made to only include the original founding fathers’ documents, as Amendments 11-27 were added at later dates,” the Bible’s publisher told local news outlet KFOR when asked about their exclusion.
Responding, Alex Luchenitser, Associate Vice President and Associate Legal Director for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, warned: “It would certainly mislead students if they are given this Bible.”
Luchenitser’s organization is currently involved in a lawsuit against the Oklahoma State Department of Education, arguing against the mandate of biblical teaching in the interest of keeping Christian dogma out of secular learning environments.
Luchenitser said he is also opposed to the Trump Bible, including the Constitution and other foundational documents among its pages, in principle, commenting: “That also doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. What that does is it sends a message that the Constitution and religion are intertwined.”
Oklahoma’s school system, which has been ranked among the worst in the U.S., suddenly finds itself in a state of flux after superintendent Ryan Walters announced he was stepping down Thursday during an appearance on Fox News.
Walters made national headlines for pushing an ultra-conservative religious agenda in the state’s public schools, including the rollout of the Trump Bible, but is now moving on to lead a conservative non-profit, the Teacher Freedom Alliance, a day after announcing that he would mandate Turning Point USA chapters in Oklahoma high schools.
During his tenure, Walters required teachers arriving in the state from liberal New York and California to complete an “anti-woke” exam, designed by the right-wing non-profit PragerU. He also supported Oklahoma in enacting the first publicly funded religious charter school, which the U.S. Supreme Court had previously prevented from receiving public funds.
The standard edition of the president’s peculiar take on the Good Book, printed in China, retails for $59.99 (or $1,000 for a signed copy) and is currently being promoted with a two-for-one offer, which will also include a “Singing Gift Bag” with every order.
The site selling the Bibles also offers them in pink-and-gold and camouflage versions and sells a wide range of other MAGA merchandise, including a T-shirt paying tribute to the late Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk.
